Distance
by DiNutso-4-DiNozzo
Summary: Sherlock Holmes is known for many things by the people who know him. A family man is not one of them. There's no way The Sherlock Holmes would fall in love and have a child. Right? John Watson is going to find that everything he knew about his flatmate will be turned on its head when they fly out to Washington DC after Moriarty kidnaps a child. Sherlock/OC
1. Distance- The Start of a Romance

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Sherlock or NCIS in anyway. I also do not own the song Distance by Christina Perri.**

**Here's a new story! I know, I know. I still have other stories to update but this idea came to me and my muse would not let me push it away! Must be from watching Sherlock over and over and reading stories with Sherlock/OC lately. I will try my hardest to update my other stories as fast as I possibly can. **

**Special thanks to Writer-of-the-Unwritten for proof reading this for me! Your the best friend a girl could have! :)**

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Distance

Please don't stand so close to me; I'm having trouble breathing.  
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now.  
I give you everything I am, all my broken heartbeats, until I know you'll understand.  
And I will make sure to keep my distance.  
Say I love you when you're not listening.  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up? –Christina Perri "Distance"

Riley Black-Gibbs sighed as she watched her new friends having fun on the dance floor. Riley, being 18 and curious about her past before she was adopted, moved to Jolly Old England as soon as she graduated from high school. Going against her father's wishes of going straight to college; in which the two had fought over the matter, Riley told her father she would go to college in England and come back afterwards. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was reluctant but agreed.

So she packed up, found a good school with dormitories, picked out her schedule and was soon on her way to England. When she got to the school, she met her roommate, a quirky and nice girl. They became fast friends and Jayden introduced Riley to a couple of her friends. After much persuasion they took Riley out to a large college club. She was bored as hell. Making sure that the other girls were not looking, she got up starting for the door. As she was walking to the door, she was stopped by a well built man, who appeared to be drunk.

"Where is a pretty little thing like you going?" the guy asked in trying to sound suave. Riley smirked at him, amused.

"I don't see how it's your business where I go," Riley said while trying to move around the guy. He stopped her by grabbing her arm tightly. He sneered at her and leaned closer to, "An American, aye? You Yanks think you're so much better than us. Well guess what, slut; you wouldn't have a country if it wasn't for Britain."

"Get your hand off me. And do not call me a slut, you bastard," Riley snarled. The guy laughed and glanced behind him at some of his friends, "I think this one needs to learn the meaning of bastard, don't you think boys?" The others hollered in agreement. Moron, as Riley was starting to call him, turned back toward her and leered at her and started dragging her toward the door leading to an alley. Riley struggled for the jackass to let her go, but he kept a bruising hold on her arm.

The drunkard swung Riley toward him so the front of her body was held firmly to his chest as his friends followed them out.

"You picked a tough one, Simon," one of Moron's friends jeered. Moron, or Simon, glanced at his friends, grinning, "Don't worry, fellows, I'll train this little kitty quickly." His friends laughed drunkenly as Moron started reaching under her shirt.

_Oh hell no! _Riley thought. _I am not losing my virginity like this. _She started struggling with renew vigor, freeing her arm and, using the moves her father taught her, swung her open hand at an angle and hit the side of Moron's face with jarring force. The man growled, and quickly swung Riley around so her back was now held to the man's chest. He grabbed her wrists with one hand while the other roamed up and down her legs, making Riley wish she had insisted more on wearing jeans instead of a skirt.

"So, kitty has some claws, huh?" The man whispered against her ear as his hand went under her skirt and toyed with her underwear. Riley squirmed more, trying to buck away from the hand under her skirt. Moron growled and tightened the hand holding her wrists, making Riley yelp in pain. Moron's friends laughed as he grasped Riley's underwear and started pulling them down, saying, "That's right, yelp like the little bitch you are,"

Riley was starting to panic now, and thrashed her head around trying to knock her head into the man behind her.

"Trying to add rape in your repertoire of criminal acts, Simon?" questioned a smooth voice from the opening of the alley. Simon and Riley turned toward the voice and saw a tall man with his hands in the pocket of his expensive pants. He was wearing a violet colored shirt, his hair was a dark curly tangled mess but what caught Riley's attention were the glacier blue eyes shining brightly from the street lamp. The man moved closer into the alley and stopped three feet from where Riley and Simon were stood.

"Go away, Holmes. Can't you see I'm busy here?" Simon growled while grinding into Riley's butt. Riley tried to move away from Moron, feeling disgusted beyond belief.

'Holmes' frowned and said, "Im terribly sorry, Simon, but I can't do that since the police are on their way here now. It would look very bad if you had attempted rape charges on your rap sheet, don't you agree?"

Moron's friends seemed to agree with Holmes, if their uneasy stances were anything to go by. Simon seemed not to believe Holmes until he heard sirens coming towards them. He froze for a second before shoving Riley toward Holmes, who, surprised, reached out to catch her.

Riley gasped as she was caught from falling face first into the pavement when Holmes' arms wrapped around her waist.

Blue-gray and ice blue eyes met the ice blue eyes seemingly turned warmer and a slow smile slide across the pale aristocratic face.

"Hello, my name is Sherlock Holmes," Sherlock said while taking his right arm from around her waist and putting it between them to shake her hand. Riley, her breath coming in gasps, lifted her own right hand and shook his hand.

"Riley Black," she gasped out. He felt her hand shaking in his and said softly, "You're alright now." She nodded and smiled shakily at him, "Thank you, I was a little afraid there for a second." Sherlock nodded as he studied her and remarked, "Your adrenaline is wearing down, and shock is setting in." Riley gave him a funny look but before she could comment, the police and an ambulance came down the alley.

Sherlock turned and recognized one of the cops, "Ah Lestrade, finally here," Lestrade was a man in his late 30's to early 40's with hair just starting to turn gray on the sides. Sherlock handed Riley over to the waiting paramedics, and then moved toward Lestrade to give his statement.

Riley looked up when she saw shoes appear on the patch of ground she stared at as she sat in the back of the ambulance. Sherlock Holmes was standing in front of her with that same searching look he had on before.

"How are you?" he asked while sitting next to her. She shrugged and motioned to her wrists and to the hand shaped bruise on her upper arm.

"Bruising and definitely nightmares in my near future, but beside that, I'm fine," she remarked wryly. Sherlock nodded and the two were quiet, he was watching the police moving around the bar and she stared down at her shoes. Riley suddenly sighed loudly and whispered, "What am I going to tell my dad?" Sherlock stared at her slouched form for a moment.

"You're American." He quietly observed. Riley looked at him and said, "Yea, well I was born here and I lived here for a few years before I was adopted. You don't want to know what I had to say to get my dad to let me go to school here." Sherlock nodded slightly before saying, "Are you alright to get back to the dorms?" Riley nodded and said, "Yea, the police are going to give me a ride back to campus,"

Sherlock seemed pleased by this and he stood up, "Well it was nice to meet you, even though the circumstances weren't ideal." Riley looked up at him and nodded while reaching for the hand he had held out, shaking his hand gently.

"Thank you again for helping me; it could have gotten a lot worse."

"You probably would have thought of something, especially with some of your moves. You would have been able to get out of his hold." Sherlock remarked with barely visible awe.

"Yea, those moves did a lot to help me," Riley snorted in derision. Sherlock frowned, and gently, but slowly, raised his hand and cupped her chin to raise her lowered head. He stared into her eyes and gently admonished, "Don't sell yourself short, you just need to broaden your defensive moves more. Now I must get back to my own dormitory, I wish you luck on giving the news to your father." Riley nodded with a small smile in thanks. Sherlock made to leave but turned back toward her and lightly grasping her hand, lifted it to his mouth and placing a small kiss on her knuckles, "Goodnight, Riley Black." He let go of her hand and turned sharply around, walking off into the night.

_A coat would probably help him with his little mysterious exit, _Riley thought with an edge of hysterical humor, _A Severus Snape-like coat._

It was a month after what Riley called the 'Incident'. She did not tell her father what really happened because she knew he would fly to England to drag her back to the United States, wrap her in wool, and never let her leave the state again.

She didn't see Sherlock after that night, though she did look up who her savior was. He apparently came from an upper class family and was considered a genius around campus.

Riley also started martial arts, soccer, and dancing; as she found doing dancing helped with her martial arts. Between school and all of her activities, she would go to bed exhausted and was less likely to have nightmares of that night. Jayden noticed this and after cornering her, convinced her to speak to a therapist.

Riley sees her therapist, Dr. O'Conner, once a week which led to her not having to exhaust herself during the day so she could sleep during the night.

We find Riley at a coffee shop near campus relaxing for a moment before she had to go to her dancing class. She was reading _Abandoned _while once in awhile looking out the window to people watch. She had just looked back down to continue reading when she heard someone slid into the seat across from her. She looked up and was surprised to see Sherlock Holmes staring back at her with his intense glacial blue eyes.

"Hi," she replied, not knowing quiet what to say to him after not seeing him for a month. Sherlock smiled at her, "Hello, Riley, how are you?" She smiled slightly at him and said, "Im good, how are you?" Sherlock shrugged and stared at her for a moment longer. Riley shifted in her chair and asked, "Was there something you needed?"

"Would you go out with me to dinner?" Sherlock asked instead of answering her. Riley blinked in surprise before she cautiously asked, "May I ask why? I haven't seen you in a month and now you're asking me out on a date?" Sherlock cocked his head to the side and said, "You intrigue me, and there is not a lot of people who can do that. I would like to get to know you better and im told that going out to dinner will help in that endeavor." Riley stared at him for a moment and going against her better judgment, "Ok, I'll go out on a date with you,"


	2. Fallin Apart

_**DiNutso-4-DiNozzo: Hey guys! I know its been awhile but here's the second chapter to Distance!**_

_**-10 years later-**_

"Adam James Holmes! If you don't get down here in the next five minutes, you're grounded!" 29 year old Riley Black yelled for her 10 year old son. Soon the sound of feet running down a flight of stairs was heard. A boy that was fairly tall for his age group appeared in the door way of Riley's kitchen. He had black curly hair with blue eyes that changed between a bluish gray to a glacial blue. He was wearing a shirt that boldly stated, "Too stupid to understand science? Try RELIGION!" and ripped blue jeans. Riley, turned toward the coffee machine, pointed to the oak table where a bowl of cereal was sitting. The boy hurriedly went to the seat in front of the cereal and tried to keep his t-shirt out of his mother's view.

Riley turned toward the table with her coffee and sat across from her son and picked up the newspaper. She glanced at her son who was trying to look innocent, and she just caught the words on the t-shirt before he leaned forward toward the table. Having just taken a drink of her coffee, she choked.

"Where the hell did you get that shirt?" Her son opened his mouth to answer, but the mother lifted her hand, "Wait. Don't tell me. Your father," she sighed.

Adam nodded sheepishly.

"After you're done with your breakfast, you are going to go back upstairs and find another shirt, that won't get you expelled from school." Riley ordered sternly, mentally reminding herself to tell Sherlock to stop sending her son those kinds of shirts.

"But mom, the idiots can't expel me when it's my constitutional right to free speech. Trying to would be letting them push their opinions on to myself. And like you say, no one can force your opinion when it's your own opinion." Adam tried to use logic to convince her, that Riley was sure his father told him to say if the idiot comment was anything to go by.

She sighed in exhaustion. Having a son who was a prodigy and learned most of his insults, explanations and mannerisms from his genius of a father sucked sometimes, "Adam, you are not wearing that shirt to school and that is final." Adam made to protest but Riley gave him the look that mother's around the world perfected when having children of their own, making the young boy go back to his cereal grumpily.

The two sat in silence until a ringing sounded. Adam's face brightened as he reached in his jean pocket and pulled out a small cell phone. He glanced at the screen with glee and before his mother could stop him, he pressed the green send button to answer.

"Hey dad," the boy said as he stood up from the table and put his bowl in the sink. Riley sighed and heard the deep cultured voice of Sherlock Holmes answer her son over the speaker phone, that her son somehow found a way of keeping on all the time. _His father probably told him how to do it. _The woman thought with annoyance and some amusement.

"Hello, Adam. Are you ready for your math test today?"

"Yep, it's so easy an imbecile can do it," Adam replied smugly. Riley's head snapped up, "Adam!" said boy glanced at her with a determined look, "It's true though, mom." Riley opened her mouth to reprimand him but a chuckle stopped her followed by, "Now, Adam, your mother is right. You shouldn't speak about people who are less intellectual than you."

Riley rolled her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Mom won't let me wear the shirt you gave me because the school might expel me. But im just expressing my opinion, right dad?" the boy informed his father. Riley rubbed her temples, not wanting to deal with this when she had little to no sleep the night before after having that same damn dream. _'Why must I have that dream every year around the time Sherlock and I had first met?' _The woman wondered with frustration. _'Or a better question, why do I remember the exact day that I met Sherlock?' _There was a voice in the back of her head, that to her immense annoyance sounded like Sherlock, tell her, _'You know why, it's because you still lo-'_

"Adam, go upstairs to change your shirt. We have to leave soon." The woman interrupted her thoughts and whatever Sherlock may have remarked on that statement. Adam pouted at her, "But mom,"

"No, Adam. Im not asking again, change your shirt. You need to get to school." Adam huffed, "Fine, I have to go dad, I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, Adam, I'll call you before you go to bed tonight. Let me talk to your mother," Adam handed the phone to his mother and then bounded up the stairs.

"Really, Sherlock, you had to get him that shirt?" Riley asked annoyed. There was a sigh, "Have you gave any thought to my-," Riley cut him off, "I already told you Sherlock; im not changing my mind." There was silence for a moment before, in a low tone, Sherlock responded, "I've changed, Riley. Im not the same man I was six years ago. You still love me, I still love you. I know it's true because you haven't filed for divorce. I miss you and Adam; I want us to be a family." Riley closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling, "I can't, Sherlock. I may still love you, but I don't want my son to ever see what I saw that night,"

"I've stopped using, Ry. Im clean,"

"For how long?" she asked sharply. "I never know if the times that you call to talk to Adam if you're high or not. Bloody hell, Sherlock! Sometimes when the phone rings I expect it to be Lestrade calling to tell me that he's found your body in some alley somewhere dead from overdose."

There was a beat of silence, Riley glaring ahead of her and Sherlock smiling slightly at hearing her using British slang. "I've been clean for over a year. I have a clean apartment and a roommate moved in with me a year ago. I work cases with Lestrade almost all the time now, Riley. I don't know what more I can do to show you that I've changed." Riley heard shuffling from the entrance to the kitchen and looked up to see the edge of Adam's shoe disappear from view. She got up and walked outside, closing the door behind her.

"Do you know I have nightmares of that night, seeing you, laying there pale and with a needle in your arm, looking dead? Not knowing what could possibly make you do that to yourself, and in our own house where our son could see you like that? My god, Sherlock," Riley felt a sob breaks free from her throat.

"Please, Riley, don't cry." She heard Sherlock sigh uneasily. She could just imagine him sitting in their old flat in London, staring despondently at a wall with his glacial blue eyes that she so much loved. Riley sighed and cleared her throat, glancing at her watch, "I have to go. Adam and I will be late."

"Ok. Good bye, Riley. I love you." Riley closed her eyes, wanting to return the sentiment but couldn't push the words past her clogged throat. She heard the line disconnect, knowing that Sherlock hung up. Riley looked up to the morning sky and waited for the tears of sadness to leave.


	3. Genius King and Commoner Riley

_**Here is chapter 3 everybody, hope ya like it! **_

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Riley glanced at her clock on her computer it telling her it was 3:30. Only five minutes after the last time she checked it. She growled under her breath, having had a gut feeling all frickin day. She glanced at her team; her father, Gibbs, was staring down a cold case file as if his glare alone would scare it into giving him a lead to solve it, McGee was typing speedily (probably finishing up on his late paperwork that Gibbs yelled at him about earlier), Tony was staring at his computer screen acting as though he was working when he was probably playing a video game, and Ziva looked like she was about to kill her computer with a paperclip. Just a normal slow day at NCIS, nothing to be worried about but Riley felt as though something was wrong. She looked back down at the file she was looking at before and stared at it with a blank stare.

A few minutes later the elevator dinged. The mail boy wheeled his cart throughout the floor and slowly made his way toward the MCRT's bullpen. He put a few letters on Ziva and Tony's desks, and moved toward Riley's desk and said, "Someone is thinking of you, Agent Black." Riley looked up, along with everyone else on Team Gibbs, and saw a vase of roses sitting at the edge of her desk. The mail boy smiled at her before moving on.

Riley looked at the flowers in confusion, before looking for a note. After some moving of stems she found it and pulled the little card off the stick. She opened it and after reading it through once, froze. She read through it again with mounting horror.

_There once was a genius king who fell in love with a lowly commoner named Riley. They met when the king saved the young commoner from an unwanted advance._

_After some days the mighty king decided to court the lowly commoner. They unexpectedly married and had a handsome prince named Adam. _

_Years passed and the family was happy until commoner Riley left the Genius King with Prince Adam._

_Genius King was horribly sad for years; his lowly commoner was gone along with his beloved son. _

_Then he met King Moriarty. They battled in wits until King Moriarty grew bored with Genius King and his angel ways. So King Moriarty decided to play a new game._

_Commoner Riley, King Moriarty wants to invite you to his game of fun. Prince Adam has already joined the game, wont you play?_

_King Moriarty would like Commoner Riley to tell Genius King that let the game begin._

_-King Moriarty_

Riley unfroze and lunged for her desk phone and hurriedly dialed her son's number. Her team mates looked at her in alarm, and started moving closer to her desk.

Riley listened to the ringing and heard the phone be picked up.

"Hello, Commoner Riley." Riley paled and shakily said, "Who is this? Where is Adam?" The team looked even more alarmed, McGee moved to his computer and started to trace the cell phone.

"Prince Adam is busy playing the game, Commoner Riley. To get Prince Adam back in one piece you're going to have to play the game. Oh, and tell King Sherlock that the weather is wonderful here in the States and to hurry over." The phone was hung up and Riley stared at the phone in her hand and collapsed into her seat. Gibbs lunged for his daughter when he saw her fall into her chair. Riley handed him the card that came with the roses.

Gibbs looked at her, "Is this?" Riley nodded to him, already knowing his question. "Riley, call Sherlock. Get him here." Gibbs told her. Riley looked at him and nodded. She got up shakily and took out her cell phone, starting to walk toward the elevator. Once she got in, she pulled a Gibbs and stopped the elevator. She scrolled through her phone for Sherlock's number and pressed send. While putting the phone to her ear, she slowly slid down the walls of the elevator.

"Sherlock Holmes," she sobbed when she heard his voice, suddenly wanting him to be here with her to hold her.

"Sherlock," She whimpered out. She heard him mumble something to someone before he seemed to move somewhere else.

"Riley, what's wrong?" Sherlock asked urgently.

"Adam was kidnapped." She said between sobs. She heard Sherlock's breathing hitch.

"Riley, calm down and explain to me what happened." She did what she was told and soon said with a clearer voice, "I received a vase of roses at work and the card explained how we met in like some fairy tale tone, it said stuff about how we married, how we had Adam and how I left. And then how you met some guy named King Moriarty," She heard Sherlock hiss in anger.

"Sherlock, who is Moriarty?" Riley asked in a weak voice. Sherlock sighed. "He is a consulting criminal that doesn't like that I ruin his plans." Riley didn't comment and just continued her story, "So I called Adam's phone and Moriarty answered and implied that Adam would be hurt if we didn't play his game. He wanted me to tell you that the weather is wonderful in the States and to hurry over."

"Alright, Riley, I'll be on the first plane to D.C as soon as possible. He'll be fine, Riley. We'll get him back safe, ok? Just hang in there." Sherlock hung up after his reassuring words and stared at the wall in front of him.

"Who's Riley?" John asked from behind him. Sherlock turned toward him and saw Lestrade looking at him in concern and John looking at him in confusion. Sherlock ignored John and said to Lestrade in an icy calm voice, "Adam's been kidnapped by Moriarty. He sent a note to Riley." Lestrade paled before saying, "I'll get you and John the first flight out," Sherlock nodded in thanks.


	4. The Game is Beginning

**DiNutso-4-DiNozzo: *Pop's out of a black hole and smiles nervously* Uh hey guys! I know it's been forever and a day since i updated this story but i have a reason! My muse got carried away and made me go through the Sherlock Series 2 with Adam and Riley in it and would not let up until I finished the last episode. Then I got side track by Breakfast Club and I had an idea so that erupted into a story that had ideas coming out of the wazoo for that story! And finally this chapter came about, _finally_, and now im moving. So im going to be on a hiatus until the end of July because of the evil RL!**

**But back to the long awaited fourth chapter-**

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"Sherlock! Who is Adam and Riley?" asked John for the tenth time. The two were on a plane to D.C. and John was fed up with not getting answers from the consulting detective.

Sherlock sighed for the millionth time that day it seemed, "When I told you I was married to my work, I lied. I married a woman named Riley Black and we had a son named Adam. For four years everything was fine, until I started using." John stared at him with a mixture of shock and dawning recognition. "I kept it a secret from her for awhile before she found some of the drugs. She confronted me and I told her I would stop. I didn't and one day she came home from work and found me unconscious with a needle in my arm. She called an ambulance and after I was better, she told me that she needed space and she was going back to the States. After she left I would have weeks of not using and others where I would. Lestrade told me that if I ever wanted to get Riley and Adam back I was going to have to get clean. I finally did and I've been trying to convince her to come back since."

John was quiet for a moment before asking, "And Adam has been kidnapped by Moriarty?" Sherlock nodded and the two were quiet for the rest of the flight.

Once the two landed they grabbed a cab and after looking up the address to NCIS on Sherlock's phone, soon arrived. They were allowed in quickly since Riley called ahead for them to be allowed in. John was shocked to know that the woman Sherlock married worked for the government. They rode the elevator up with a security guard who led them to where Team Gibbs was working furiously. John looked at the four people; a grayed haired man was leaning over a chubby younger man, the two talking about whatever was on the computer screen. A tall, tanned man in a tailored suite stood in front of a big screen with a black haired woman. The man seemed to be reassuring the woman; Sherlock strode over to the pair, softly saying, "Riley,"

The woman turned along with the tall man toward Sherlock. John watched as the other three stared between who John now knew was Riley and Sherlock.

She was a beautiful woman. Taller than average, coming up a little past the shoulder of the man she stood next to. She had brunette hair pulled back in a high ponytail with strands framing her face; she was wearing casual work clothes. Blue gray eyes light up with hope and love, John caught from the gaze aimed at Sherlock.

Riley moved toward Sherlock and wrapped her arms around his neck. John saw tears spring to the blue gray eyes as Sherlock wrapped his arms around her. Riley burrowed her head in the juncture between his neck and shoulder and whispered to him, "Im scared, Sherlock." Sherlock pulled her closer and whispered to her, "We'll get him back, Riley. He's smart; he knows how to keep himself safe." Riley pulled away slightly so she could look him in the eye. John watched in astonishment as Sherlock's normally cold expression softened. The army doctor watched as Sherlock gently wiped away a tear that fell from Riley's eye.

Riley pulled away and wiped her eyes. She was about to explain what they had so far when Sherlock's phone rang. He pulled it out and with narrowed eyes saw the number and answered it with the speaker phone on, "Moriarty," he growled out. John moved closer along with the other three of Riley's team mates.

"Hello, Sherlock! I see you got my message from your lovely wife," Moriarty's chipper voice came on over the speaker phone.

"Yes, I did. I want to talk to Adam," Sherlock demanded coldly. Moriarty giggled, "Not just yet, King Sherlock. We have a game to play."

"What is the game?" Sherlock asked while catching Riley's hardened eyes.

"Don't you remember, Sherlock? Im going to _burn_ the _heart_ out of you; at first I thought I would have to go after your pet. But then I found out about your beautiful wife, Riley, and your prodigy, Adam. So you see, Sherlock, the game is while I have fun with Adam; lovely, strong Riley will be coming apart at the seams. While this is all going on, you my dear Sherlock, have to watch it all helplessly." Riley looked at the phone with fury in her eyes. Sherlock's eyes were the iciest that John had ever seen them.

"Oh and to give me some entertainment while you try to find me, I brought someone back from both of your past. Riley should get her present right about now. Ta-ta for now," the phone was disconnected. Riley looked at Sherlock in confusion. Suddenly the big screen turned black, drawing all of their attention toward it. Sound came out of the small speakers; there was rustling, a growl, then a familiar yelp. Riley turned in horror toward Sherlock who was frowning at the still blank screen.

"_That's right, yelp like the little bitch you are,"_ was heard next. Sherlock's eyes snapped toward Riley and saw her now staring at her father, and instantly knew that her father still didn't know that she was almost raped.

John glanced at the two in confusion when the screen changed from black to Simon, the banker that Sherlock and he helped on when they first started out. John remembered how Sherlock would glare at the man whenever they were in Simon's company for long periods of time.

"Hello, Riley. Sherlock," Simon said. "I remember this night all the time, thanks to my recording it. You would have been my greatest conquest, Riley, if Sherlock hadn't had interrupted us. I've thought about you for years, you're the one woman that got away, and well, I can't have that. When Jim Moriarty called me up I jumped at the chance at having you. I always wondered though, if Sherlock hadn't have interrupted us, would I have been your first, Riley? Would I have been the one to steal your virginity?" Riley was looking down now, while Gibbs stared at his daughter as though he never seen her before. Sherlock grabbed Riley's hand and squeezed it while staring at the Simon on the screen.

"No matter, I will have you that I can promise you. I will get you and mark you as mine. See you soon, _Riley_." The screen went back to the page it was at earlier, leaving Team Gibbs' space silent.

"Is it true?" Gibbs whispered out. Riley looked up at him and whispered, "Yes,"

"And you didn't think it was prudent to tell me?" Gibbs growled. Riley flinched slightly, "I knew you would drag me back to the States,"

"Your damn right, I would have," Gibbs cut in sharply. Riley moved toward him, beseechingly, "Dad, please. Nothing happened, im fine, he didn't do anything to me." Gibbs balled his hands into fists, "I don't care that nothing happened, Riley. I deserved to know that you were almost raped!"

"I didn't want you to drag me back. I needed to stay there; my life was just starting there." Gibbs stared at her for a moment, "We need to fine, Adam. We'll talk about this after we find him." He then turned and walked away.

A little while later, the five were silent, trying to find Adam. Ziva returned from talking with Abby and Ducky and was introduced to the two Brits. The silence was broken when Sherlock's phone rang again. He answered it with it still on speaker phone, "Hello?"

"Did Riley like her present, Sherlock?" Moriarty's voice asked. Riley looked like she was ready to lunge for the phone. "It was so entertaining seeing her face when she heard Simon. Although it was interesting when it turned out innocent Riley lied to Daddy all these years, wasn't it, Sherlock?" Gibbs, having arrived part way through the conversation, looked around along with everyone else. "Oh yes, I can see you, lovelies. But you will never find my itsy bitsy camera. Dear me, Prince Adam has awakened from our little game earlier. Would you like to talk to him, King Sherlock?" Sherlock glanced at Riley who moved closer to him.

"Yes, put Adam on the phone," Sherlock hissed. It was quiet for a moment before they heard a weak voice, "Mom? Dad?" Riley turned her head into Sherlock's shoulder and let out a hiccup. Sherlock swallowed, "Yes, Adam, your mom and I are both here."

"Dad, I don't want to be here."

Sherlock closed his eyes and strained, "I know, son. We'll get you out of there as soon as possible." They suddenly heard a slap and then Moriarty, "Your boy is a bit of a cry baby, Sherlock. Not at all what I expected,"

"YOU BASTARD!" yelled Riley. Sherlock wrapped an arm around her waist to make sure she didn't lunge for the phone.

There was a beat of silence after Riley's outburst, "Dear, Riley, you shouldn't have done that."

Riley looked at Sherlock with fear. "Adam and I are curious, why did Commoner Riley leave Genius King?" Sherlock and Riley looked at each other, half in confusion and half panicked.

"Are you not going to tell us, Commoner Riley?" When no answer was given fast enough, Moriarty continued, "Hmm, I'll tell him then. Prince Adam, Mommy left Daddy because Daddy was using drugs and almost died. Commoner Riley, you are a horrible mother and wife. Leaving your husband when he needed you the most and taking your son away from his father, tisk, tisk," There was silence on both sides before, "Is that true, mom? You left dad because he was doing drugs and he almost died,"

"It's more than that, Adam." Riley would have continued but she was interrupted by Moriarty, "Lying to your son, Riley? Not nice, he's going to have to pay for your lies."

"NO! Don't hurt him!" Riley pleaded, grabbing the phone from Sherlock. Sherlock allowed her and wrapped his arms around her. They heard a whooshing sound and then Adam crying out. Riley sobbed and turned around toward Sherlock; he pulled her closer and tucked her head underneath his chin.

"Now, Riley, are you going to tell Adam the truth?" Riley barely hesitated and they heard Adam scream in pain.

"YES! Yes, I left Sherlock because he was doing drugs. When I found him unconscious I freaked out, Sherlock looked dead. I didn't want Adam to ever see his father like that. And I didn't want to be around if he killed himself." Riley sobbed out. Sherlock closed his eyes, a tear slipping out of one of his tightly closed eyes.

"Do you love, dad?" Adam's shaky voiced asked. Riley bit her lip and nodded, "Yes,"

"THEN SAY IT! He always tells you, Commoner Riley. I want you to look him in the eye and tell him you don't love him, because we both know it's true." Moriarty yelled out angrily. Riley looked up at Sherlock who was looking at her.

"Tell the truth, Riley. Let your son and Sherlock know that you don't love him. That he's just the father of your child and sometimes you hate Adam because he's so much like Sherlock. That's the reason you never say you love him when he tells you it. I mean come on, Sherlock Holmes actually admits he has feelings for someone and you enjoy messing with his head, like me." Riley looked at Sherlock and saw that what Moriarty was saying seemed to ring true to Sherlock.

She could feel him slowly pulling away from her, literally and figuratively. She couldn't lose him, she loved him and she needed him, in a panic and fearful voice she blurted out, "I love you,"

Sherlock's eyes snapped to hers in shock. She bit her lip and continued. "Im sorry that I never said I loved you. You're not just the father of my child. You're the love of my life. I could never hate, Adam, I love him so much _because_ he's so much like you. I could never say I love you because I was afraid to let you back in. It hurt me that you almost died from a drug overdose; I thought you didn't want to be on this earth with me and Adam anymore. _I was afraid_." There was silence after her confession.

A slap was heard followed by Adam's scream of pain. "LIAR!" the psycho yelled.

Riley shook her head, "No, im not lying! I love Sherlock, and I love Adam! God damn it! Stop hurting him!"

"We'll see how much you truly love them both. The game has started Commoner Riley, let's see who wins," Moriarty said before hanging up. Riley tightly closed her eyes while McGee looked at the others, "I couldn't get a trace," Riley's eyes opened and snapped to him who was looking at her in pity. She turned away from them and leaned her hands against her desk. Sherlock watched her critically; John and the others watched the two closely. Riley yelled and swung her arm, making everything, except her computer, on her desk fly off including the vase of flowers. Riley stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, before turning sharply. People sprang out of her way, watching silently as she stalked toward the elevators and stabbed the down button. The elevator doors opened and the steaming woman's visage soon disappeared behind the doors.

John turned toward Sherlock and asked in shock, "Are you going to follow her?" Sherlock didn't look at him while walking toward the vase of flowers and bending down near them, picking through the shards of glass. The genius was keenly aware of his wife's father and friends listening closely to them, "No,"

John scoffed, "No? Sherlock she's your wife, you should go comfort her," Sherlock stood up suddenly and turned toward the other man, "I know who she is to me, John. Riley does not want to be comforted right now. She is most likely in the closest gymnasium punching anything in sight. I know my wife, John. I know that it is better that no one is around her right now." John glared at him.

"He's right. Riley is known for her temper, she gets it from Gibbs in that respect." Tony idly commented. John stared at him for a moment before he seemed to concede.

"Hmm," The others turned back toward Sherlock at his interested noise. He was bending down again and found a little camera in the shards of glass. He turned back toward the others and handed the camera toward McGee. The tech-smart man looked at it for a moment, turning it over in his hand. He pulled a piece on it apart and pulled out a micro-chip, plugging it into his computer.

He stared at his computer for a second, and typed for a moment while the others watched him closely.

"This is how he's been watching us; it was probably on one of the stems of the roses. He can't watch us now, since I disabled it, boss." McGee said. Gibbs nodded and opened his mouth to speak when Sherlock interrupted him.

"He'll find another way to watch us; he likes to watch his game being played."


	5. The First Clue

_**Hey guys! So I finally got internet last week but then i had to buckle down and get back into the flow of my stories again and i finally had ideas flowing after re-reading all of my stories! So here is the fifth chapter of Distance and I should be able to update my story The Tom-Boy Rebel sometime in the upcoming days! Thanks to everyone who favorited me, the story and the new followers since I've been on my short hiatus!**_

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The bag swung furiously as her fists slammed into the punching bag continuously, as music blasting over the I-Pod Dock speakers. Riley tried to concentrate on only the bag in front of her, but no matter how hard she tried, memories rose up to the forefront of her mind.

_**-10 years ago-**_

_19 year old Riley Black-Holmes stared down at the stick in her hand in shock. _'Oh god, what do I tell, Sherlock? What do I tell my father?' _The woman thought, panicky. Were her and Sherlock ready for this? They had only been married for 2 months. They were still getting used to married life and to worry about being parents this soon?_

_But…_

_But she had had dreams of this, hadn't she? Dreams of having Sherlock Holmes child-his son or daughter. Watching that child go through life; seeing Sherlock teach their child everything about science and the art of observing and deducting your surroundings. She had dreams of either watching tearfully as her son went on his first date or trying to calm Sherlock's protectiveness and her daughter's nerves. Watching her son/daughter receive thousands of acceptance letters for college, because having Sherlock Holmes as a father, any child would receive thousands of college letters. Meeting their true love, getting married, spoiling grandchildren with Sherlock. God did she want that with Sherlock. _

_But, was Sherlock ready for that? Did he want kids now? She knew that he did want kids in the future, but did he want them now. _'Well guess it doesn't matter now. You already saw three supposedly scientific pregnancy sticks tell you yes. Just man up, Black! Once he gets home, tell him and then deal with the consequences afterwards.' _The woman sighed, and then threw the tests away. She stared at herself in the mirror for a few moments before she heard a door slam. _

_She walked out of the room and saw Sherlock mumbling to himself in front of one of his many microscopes that were scattered around their small kitchen. _

"_Sherlock," She timidly called out to him and immediately berated herself for sounding so frail. Her husband didn't turn toward her but started talking, "Hello, love. How was your day? Mycroft decided to honor me with his presence at the college. He wanted me to look into some conspiracy or some such nonsense. He seems to have started a diet again; dull." _

_Riley moved closer, unconsciously biting her lip. "Sherlock," She tried again, not really wanting to think about Mycroft Holmes at this moment in time. Sherlock seemed not to have heard her and was recalling an observation of a woman that just started at St. Bart's. She sighed in aggravation, "Im pregnant, Sherlock!"_

_Riley instantly slammed her hands to her mouth in shock while Sherlock froze before slowly turning toward her, and catching sight of her stunned face, knew that she wasn't joking. _

"_Y-you are?" the great Sherlock Holmes stuttered for the first time in his life. Riley would have laughed if it wasn't so serious. She nodded, watching as he slowly moved toward her. He raised a hand and laid it gently down on her still flat stomach. He looked into her eyes and whispered, "We're going to be parents?" _

_Again Riley nodded. _

_A smile grew before the man wrapped his arms around her and swung her around in joy. Riley felt a laugh spring forth and held onto Sherlock. He put her down on the ground gently and pushed some lose hair away from her face, "I love you, and I love this baby." Riley smiled brightly and pulled Sherlock into a kiss, her worries washing away._

Riley sobbed as she wrapped her arms around the bag, hugging it. That was one of her favorite memories before Sherlock started drugs. She remembered being so happy that Sherlock was happy to be having a child. She heard her I-Pod change to Matchbox Twenty's _How Far We've Come_. She sunk to the ground, letting the song and the memories sweep her away.

_**-8 Years Ago-**_

_Riley heard a baby giggle next to her head, rousing her from her nap. _

"_We have to be quiet, Adam. If you're not quiet, you can't surprise mommy," her husband's voice whispered to her two year old son. She heard small hands clap together, "Surprise, momma." She held in her smile and waited patiently. _

_She soon heard little and big feet move closer toward her, after finding where the small feet were she waited a little more. When the little feet were close to her, she shot up and grabbed her baby boy around the waist, eliciting a squeal from her baby and a smirk from her husband. She blew a raspberry on the squiggly boy's neck, smiling when she heard more of his precious giggling. _

"_Daddy, she tickle me! Help!" Adam James Holmes squealed. Riley stood up and watched as a mischievous light appeared in Sherlock's eyes. "I will save you, my son!" Riley saw him coming for her and after gently putting her son on the couch she ran for the kitchen. "You will never catch me!" She cried. _

_Adam giggled while Sherlock followed his wife through the kitchen and up the stairs to their and Adam's rooms. Riley made a split second decision and moved toward their room. Sherlock followed and jump tackled Riley onto their bed. He straddled her and pinned her wrists above her head._

"_I have caught you my dear wife." He whispered into her ear. Riley shivered, "So you have. What are you going to do to me, dear husband?" Sherlock smirked and skimmed his lips down her neck, lightly kissing her pulse point before leaning up and was a hairs breath away from her lips, "Im going to…tickle you." Riley's eyes snapped open, shrieking when Sherlock started running his fingers down her sides. _

_She laughed with tears starting to stream down her face, "Stop, Sherlock. (Giggle) I give!" Sherlock smiled down at her and stopped tickling her. He let go of her wrists and laid his head on her stomach, she reached up a hand and started running her fingers through his wild curls. They sat in quiet, enjoying the small time together they have before their son came up after them; he listening to her heart slowly return to normal, and she with her eyes closed. _

"_Mommy! Daddy!" They heard their son yell for them. Sherlock turned his head and kissed the little bit of stomach that was showing from Riley's risen shirt. "We better get down there before he becomes bored." Riley hummed in agreement, "That would be your son who gets bored easily." _

_Sherlock leaned back up and looked down at her, "Our son, my love." He then sealed his declaration with a kiss on her lips._

Riley came back to reality when she felt a finger catch a tear that slowly rolled down her cheek; she opened her eyes and saw Sherlock crouched above her. They stared at each other for a moment before he said, "What were you thinking of?" Riley looked away and sat up, preparing to stand when Sherlock gracefully sat down next to her and grabbed her hand. "Don't pull away from me, Riley. Please, tell me what you were thinking of,"

Riley sighed and relented, "I was thinking of when we found out that I was pregnant with Adam and that time we were both home with Adam when he was two." Sherlock nodded and pulled her closer.

"I was so happy when you told me you were pregnant. When we were both home with Adam is one of my favorite memories of when we were together. Riley, I want more of those memories with you and Adam. I don't care where we are, whether we're here in the States or back in London. I want my wife and son back with me, im tired of only talking to you both over a phone." Riley stared at him with tears springing to her eyes.

"I know. But I can't." Sherlock stared at her. "It hurts to be away from you Sherlock, but it hurts even more at the thought that you will do that again. I couldn't live if you were dead and all because you were doing drugs?" Sherlock placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her close, softly kissing her.

He slowly pulled away and said, "I promise, I will never do drugs again. Not if it means losing two of the most precious things to me." Riley stared at him for a moment before nodding and wrapping her arms around his neck, "After we get Adam back, we can figure everything out." Sherlock sighed but nodded knowing they were far from finished with this conversation.

The two were interrupted when Ziva walked into the room. She stared at them for a moment before saying, "There was a murder." Riley and Sherlock stood up and walked toward her.

"What happened?" Riley asked briskly suddenly switching from emotional wife and mother to federal agent.

"Local LEOS found the body of Sanford Moran." Ziva said and seeing recognition on Sherlock's face continued. "Mr. Watson told us that you would know who he is."

Sherlock nodded, "Yes, Mr. Moran is an acquaintance of Moriarty. This is most likely part of his game."

Riley and Ziva nodded and Ziva said, "We thought so too. We're all going to the scene, Gibbs wanted me to come get you two and meet everyone at the car." The couple nodded and the three walked silently to the car and, having to take two cars, got in and headed toward the crime scene.

They soon arrived with Gibbs and Ziva's driving, and everyone got out and headed over to the empty lot that the body was found in. Sherlock looked over the body in his normal brisk and thorough manner; while the others listened to Gibbs interrogate the cops that found the body as they bagged and tagged the crime scene and observed the scene for themselves.

After looking over the body, Sherlock noticed something white sticking out of the dead man's suit jacket. He gently pulled the jacket away from the man's body, gloved hands pulling the white object from its hiding place.

Riley having noticed that Sherlock found something, walked over to him and bent down next to him, drawing the others attention to them.

Sherlock opened what now was an envelope, pulling out a piece of paper and a photo. Riley and Sherlock read the letter over, Riley reading it out loud to the others.

_Here's a clue my dear King Sherlock:_

_Where oh where did you find the love of your life? Before she married you, before she had your child, before she left with said child in tow; where oh where did you first lay eyes on the stunning beauty with the cloudy blue eyes? _

_I wonder, I wonder. 6 hours you have to find your answer and find the cause of poor Sanford's death, when you have both of these answers go to the place and find your next clue. While you stew over my game, I have given you a picture of Prince Adam basking in our games while we wait for you._

_-King Moriarty_

Sherlock moved the letter to show the picture. Riley gasped and turned her head into Sherlock's shoulder, clutching his arm. Sherlock's jaw tightened as his eyes roamed over the picture; his son was taped to a chair with bruises forming along his jaw and under one of his eyes. He had a cut over his other eye, and blood ran down the side of his face from a larger cut at his temple. Sherlock growled and noticed writing on the back, drawing Riley's attention back to the photo that Sherlock flipped over to show Moriarty's precise writing,

_Prince Adam is a little bit of a smart mouth brat, King Sherlock. He really must be shown some manners._

Riley hissed, shooting up from her crouched position and looked ready to take out her gun and shoot something. Sherlock shot up with her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So, where is the first place you met Riley?" Tony asked while Ducky and Palmer moved toward the body and started their own examination.

"O'Neil's Bar," Riley absent-mindedly said while watching Ducky put a liver probe in the dead man with her arms crossed over her chest. The others looked at Sherlock for confirmation, but Sherlock shook his head making Riley look at him when she saw his head shake in the corner of her eye.

"No, Moriarty asked where I first laid _eyes_ on Riley not where I _met_ her." Sherlock corrected in his 'You're so stupid to miss that' tone of voice, making John roll his eyes and Riley frown.

"There's a difference?" Riley asked. Sherlock turned toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes and said, "Yes, love, there is. I _met_ you in the alley way next to O'Neil's Bar. But I first laid _eyes _on you at the Freshman Orientation Party. I saw you with a few people in a corner, talking about intellectual things but not getting drunk, doing drugs or shagging like others at the party were doing. I was one of the others who were listening but to my brother's shock, I didn't remark on anything you said, because of how passionately you talked about any topic. That's when I first saw you and I fell in love with you." Riley stared at him for a moment while John was in shock that Sherlock could be so…romantic.

Gibbs interrupted them by asking, "So where was this party at?" Sherlock pulled his eyes away from Riley's and said, "McAdam's Bar and Grill. The college paid for the whole place to be closed down just for the freshman's."

Gibbs frowned and turning to Ducky, said, "What d'ya got Duck?"

The elderly man sighed and looked up at Gibbs, "Well Jethro, it seems to be strangulation but considering the circumstances I will need to do a full autopsy before I give you a definite cause of death." He then turned to look at Jimmy and said, "Let's get him back to NCIS, dear boy."

Jimmy nodded and helped the man to place the body on the stretcher. Riley turned from the body and glanced down at the picture still grasped in her husband's hand and wondered how long ago that picture was taken and how bad her son looked now.


	6. Today is Different

_**Here's the next chapter! We get to see Adam's point of view this chapter, hope ya like it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, reviews always make my day! **_

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The day had started off so normal for Adam James Holmes. He had woke up a little late like usual, was in a rush to get dress before his mom decided to ground him for being late, ate breakfast and then had his morning talk with his father. Afterwards he gave his phone to his mom, once again like normal, so she could talk to his dad while he went and got his stuff ready. The differences started when his curiosity finally won out and he snuck downstairs to listen in on his parent's conversation. He knew it was bad to listen in on someone else's conversation but he wanted to know if his mom and he were ever moving back to London with his father.

So he snuck downstairs, being light on his feet and skipping the third step from the bottom because it squeaked whenever a certain amount of pressure was put on it, (one of his experiments proved that the lightest object that caused said stair to squeak was a soccer ball being dropped from one foot above the stair) like his father had taught him. He then put his back to the wall once he reached the last stair and slid along it until he was an inch from the entrance to the kitchen and breathed slowly in and out so he could hear better through the adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The first thing Adam hears is _"I never know if the times that you call to talk to Adam if you're high or not. Bloody hell, Sherlock! Sometimes when the phone rings I expect it to be Lestrade calling to tell me that he's found your body in some alley somewhere dead from overdose." _

Adam used some words that he knew his mother would berate him for then correctly deduce he had heard from Uncle Tony. He hated not having all of the facts! He had no clue what his mom was talking about. _If you don't understand, break it down. _Adam heard his father's voice say from a past memory. Taking a deep breath, Adam started to break it down: _"if you're high or not"_- high is usually referring to using drugs. _"Dead from overdose"_- overdose is death by too much drugs in ones system at one time and the body is unable to break down the drug fast enough.

Adam shook his head slightly. It still didn't make any sense! His father would never use drugs, he was a smart and logical thinker and using drugs was so…_stupid_. He couldn't understand why his mother would think that his father would be high whenever he called Adam. Adam would have heard it in his voice because his dad would have acted differently and he _knew_ his father. His dad was his hero along with his mother. There was no chance that his father would do something like that!

This all went through Adam's head like the speed of light and he broke out of his thoughts when he heard his father answer his mother. _"I've been clean for over a year. I have a clean apartment and a roommate moved in with me a year ago. I work cases with Lestrade almost all the time now, Riley. I don't know what more I can do to show you that I've changed."_ The boy frowned. He then leaned forward a little bit more, thinking he wasn't hearing correctly, and overbalanced. He put his foot out to stop his fall and hurried to straighten himself back up and held his breath to see if his mom noticed.

He heard a chair screech as it was pulled out then footsteps moving toward the back door. Adam closed his eyes and hoped that his mom was just looking outside and not planning on…

The sound of the sliding glass door opening then closing a moment later had Adam cursing once again as he slowly peaked out into the kitchen. The kitchen was empty! His mom had heard him and had gone outside. Adam huffed, '_Great! I didn't get anything from what little I heard.'_ Adam glared down at his gangly legs. He hated that his legs were too long for his body. Uncle Tony and Dad had told him that he would grow into them, that they had the same problem when they were growing up, but it still sucked.

He then turned and stomped back up the stairs to grab his bag. He went back downstairs, still trying to figure out what his parents were talking about. His mom was back in the kitchen when he returned; she was grabbing her things for work as he watched her gracefully move around the kitchen with practiced ease. She grabbed a case file that she had put on top of the refrigerator before heading toward him. That was one of the places that he couldn't reach even with his long legs, his mom was correctly wary of his want to reading case files since one time when Adam was six he had been found reading through it with the gory pictures spread around him.

She handed him his phone and lunch before leading him out the door and to her BMW. They both got in and they started their drive to his school in silence. Halfway there, Adam finally decided to speak up, "Mom, when are we going to go back to London?"

Adam watched in the corner of his eye his mother tense. She seemed to argue with herself for a moment before she said warily, "I don't know, Adam."

"Why not?" He asked stubbornly.

"Because I just don't Adam," Her tone was telling him that the questioning was over.

But he was the son of Sherlock and Riley Holmes and his genes gave him a double dosage of bull headed stubbornness, and he continued despite the clear warning, "Are you still mad at Dad?"

His mom sighed, "Adam, please,"

"Why can't we go move back to London?"

"Because we can't." His mom was starting to sound stressed and upset. Normally Adam would have stopped and would later make it up to her for making her upset.

But today was different. "Why not? You never tell me what's going on! I want to go back to London and live with Dad!"

"Adam! Watch your tone!" His mother admonished.

The younger Holmes narrowed his eyes at his mother and clenched his fists. "You don't love Dad anymore, is that it?"

There was a sudden tense silence and Adam thought he may have gone too far. The car suddenly stopped and Adam noticed that they were in front of his school. Adam glared at his mother and grabbed his backpack and opened the car door. He stepped out and slammed the car door and started for the entrance to the school with anger boiling in his veins.

Distantly he heard a car door slam behind him before his mom's voice said, "Adam!"

He debated ignoring her but decided in the long run it was best if he didn't. In slight rebellion, he only paused in his walking and didn't turn to look at his mom. He could almost see her sigh before she moved toward him.

She came around to stand in front of him and she bent down to his height. She cupped his face and normally Adam would have been so embarrassed to be seen with his mother doing this but today was not a normal day and he was too angry to care.

His mom lifted his face so he would look her in the eyes. He glared at her with his angry dark blue eyes as her eyes stared back at him with sadness and regret. She stared at him for a moment before she spoke, "Adam, my feelings for your father are not the reason why we can't move back to London. The reason is complicated and not something you need to know."

"Then un-complicate it!" Adam told her.

She shook her head, "It's not that simple, AJ." Adam paused and studied her closely. She hadn't called him that since he was 7 and he told her that he just wanted to be called by his actual name because he wanted to be treated with respect like Uncle Mycroft was. Though she looked a little put out when he told her this, she had grudgingly complied with his request.

"Why isn't it simple? I don't understand!" Adam ignored what she called him for a moment and decided to ask in frustration.

"I know you don't. But you will when you're older." She simply told him as she ran a hand over his head. He pulled back from her with a glare and crossed his arms. He didn't care how childish he was acting, he hated when people told him he would understand when he was older. He found that that just really meant that people didn't want or have the answer and used that reply as a way to shoo children away. He clenched his jaw like he saw his father do when Adam had spent the month in London with him the past summer after Anderson had made a moronic comment.

"Im going to be late," Adam told her sharply. His mom frowned but seemed to decide to allow his tone to go for now as she nodded and leaned forward to kiss him gently on the forehead. She straightened from her crouch and told him, "I love you,"

Adam didn't reply and simply walked past her and continued into the school.

He regretted not saying he loved her back throughout the day especially since his mood grew worse and worse the longer the day wore on. Once school was finished the only thing Adam wanted to do was head over to NCIS and ignore everyone except Auntie Abby and Uncle Ducky. He was almost out the door before he was stopped by his teacher who wanted to know how he was. He was pulled into a conversation with his teacher for 20 minutes and by the time he headed outside, his bus and come and gone without him. His mood grew increasingly sour as he thought on what he should do.

Should he call his mom to ask her to either pick him up or have someone else on the team pick him up? He started to reach for his phone before he remembered his mom's words from this morning, _you will when you're older_. He'll show her he was older, he will find his own way to NCIS on his own. He lifted his head up determinedly and turned and started in the direction to the Navy yard.

He walked a few blocks from the school, remembering each turn he would have to make from the many times he rode the bus and started to smile. He didn't need anyone to hold his hand, he could take care of himself no problem. He was a block away when he heard the sound of a car coming toward him from behind. He glanced back and noticed it was a nondescript black van and it was suddenly slowing down. The window passenger side window rolled down as the van came to a slow stop. That's when Adam noticed he had stopped walking to watch the van.

A woman with dark, shoulder length brown hair and dark blue eyes smiled at him from the passenger seat. In the driver seat sat an equally smiling man with short cropped black hair and brown eyes.

"Hi," The woman said with a soft smile, "Do you happen to know what street the White House would be on?"

Adam observed them warily; he backed up slightly and said, "Im sorry, I can't help you. Im not supposed to talk to strangers."

The woman nodded in understanding, "I know your parents told you that but we just really want to head over to the White House. We're travelling from California you see and our navigation broke." She lifted up a GPS that had a cracked screen for emphasis. "My husband dropped it when we were leaving the hotel this morning and it's stopped working since. Can you just tell us the street?"

Adam bit his lip and glanced up and down the sidewalk, hoping someone else would come by so they could answer the woman. Seeing only a man talking angrily in his cell phone farther up the street from them, Adam sighed and took a small step closer to the van and looked at the woman. She kind of reminded him of his mom with her dark blue eyes because Adam loved when they went that color because that usually meant Mom was thinking of Dad and he remembered that her eyes were that color just this morning when he was talking to his Dad.

"It's on Pennsylvania Avenue. If you go to the end of this street and turn left you should hit it in around five blocks then you just have to turn right on Pennsylvania and it should be on the right side of the street." He told her.

She smiled at him before glancing at her husband and saying, "See, Jim, I told you he could help us."

Adam's head snapped toward the man when he replied in a British accent, "Yes you're right, dear." Adam slowly looked back at the woman as she replied, "Thank you for all of the help. You made it so much easier Adam."

The boy started to nod before he froze suddenly, "How-how do you know my name?"

The man leaned forward toward the passenger window and his smile was now evil as he replied, "All in good time, dear Adam. All in good time," As Adam made a move to run, an arm came around his chest and pulled him back against a lean chest. Adam started to struggle against the hold, turning his head and noticing it was the man that had been talking angrily on his phone earlier. The man's other hand came up and he Adam jerked his head away from the cloth in the man's hand. He had performed enough experiments to know the bittersweet smell of chloroform. The hand followed his face though and the hand around his chest pulled tighter, crushing against his ribs. The boy moaned at the pain and paused for just a second in hopes of making the arm loosen around his ribcage and that was all the hesitation the man needed.

The cloth came over his mouth and nose and Adam's eyes widened and he tried to move his head away but he had already inhaled some of the chloroform and became sluggish. The man pressed the cloth closer to his face and Adam weakly reached up a hand to pull the arm away from his face but his arm didn't even make it to the halfway point before his eyes closed against his wishes and his arm weightlessly fell to his side.

Adam groaned in protest as he felt his body being lifted. He heard voices but could not comprehend them as he fell more and more into the darkness beckoning him. He felt himself be put down on a solid surface and felt someone tying his feet together.

He felt soft hands grasp his wrists and pull them together in front of him; duck tape was wrapped tightly around his wrists.

Adam finally gave in to the darkness and didn't feel the cloth be removed from his face or the woman giggle and run a hand through his hair.

Today was different and it was going to continue to be different from this day on.

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_**ATTENTION READERS! I am putting up a poll for this story! I have already finished the series 2 of Sherlock with Adam and Riley in it and I was wondering if you guys want me to just add the chapters to Distance or make entirely new stories for each episode. So go on my page and vote please! **_


	7. I Love You

**_Hey everybody! Here's chapter 7 of Distance, we're starting to hit some big action in this part! Don't forget to review! I want to make sure you all like it so far!_**

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_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap._

The sound bounced off the walls of autopsy loudly. Ducky glanced at Palmer, noting that even Jimmy's patience was coming to an end with the sound, then Ducky glanced at the woman standing at the unoccupied autopsy table staring at the body Palmer and Ducky were working on as her finger tapped restlessly on the table in front of her.

Ducky sighed to himself before catching Palmer's eyes and motioning to the door with his head. Palmer caught on quickly and nodded once before grabbing some samples from the body and headed for the door, stating, "I'll take these to Abby."

Ducky turned back to the body, waiting to see if Riley would talk or not. After a few moments of just the tapping noise continuing somewhat obnoxiously, Ducky put down his scalpel and walked over to Riley. He moved in front of her, blocking her view of the body she had been staring at for the past 20 minutes since she came down to see what they had so far. She blinked then looked up at him and seeing who it was she asked, "What do you have, Ducky?"

"We haven't completed the autopsy yet. It would get done easier if there wasn't an insistent tapping noise." The elderly man gently admonished as he motioned to her hand that was still tapping the table. Riley looked down at her hand and stopped abruptly and instead crossed her arms in front of her. She mumbled an apology and moved to the other side of the autopsy table to stand next to Ducky.

Ducky looked her over, she was wearing a wrinkled dress shirt and her pants were wrinkled also in the upper thigh from where Riley had the tendency to clutch at her pants when she was under pressure. Her normally perfect ponytail was slightly loose with dark strands of hair framing her tired face. Ducky knew she was under a lot of stress, her son was kidnapped and for the first time in 6 years her husband wasn't a continent away and she couldn't continue to avoid the issues between them.

"How are you, dear Riley?" Ducky asked softly. When she opened her mouth, most likely preparing to spout the 'im fine' crap that Ducky theorized she learned from her 'big brother' Tony, he raised a hand and said, "The truth, please,"

Riley looked at him before sighing and running a hand down her face. "Honestly, I feel like im about to have a nervous breakdown, Duck. Adam has been kidnapped by some psycho and my son…my baby boy is hurting and there's nothing I can do. Then on top of that Sherlock is here in DC and…" Riley trailed off and took a deep, shaky breath. Ducky laid a hand on her shoulder in comfort and she softly continued, "And it's so hard to be around him, because half of me wants' to wrap my arms around him and never let go while the other half is so scared to let him in again after what happened. And it pisses me off so much because I need to focus on my son, on saving him before…" She couldn't continue. Just the thought of her son being murdered by Moriarty broke her heart and had fear running rampant through her. She had seen what Moriarty did to people, saw what he did when he was apparently 'bored' and the chance that that might happen to her son…

The elderly M.E. watched in sadness as a tear rolled down the woman's face. He moved to comfort her when the swish of the doors to Autopsy opening caused him to pause. He turned and saw Sherlock, Tony, John and Gibbs striding in with determined but tired faces. Ducky glanced at the clock and saw that it was just coming on 3 in the morning and he knew that none of them were going to sleep until they had Adam safely returned.

Riley had wiped the tear from her face and cleared her throat before turning toward the others. She glanced at their faces and pushed some of the hope down and asked, "Did you find something?"

Tony spoke up first, "McGee looked at surveillance cameras around Adam's school." He paused and Riley took a step closer to the four men and motioned for Tony to continue. He did after glancing at the others, "It seems Adam missed his bus and he started to walk here from what McGee can tell. A few blocks away a van pulled up next to him and a woman had asked Adam something. Adam seemed like he wouldn't answer but the woman must have said something to reassure him because Adam did answer. Then a man came up behind Adam and we think he drugged him because Adam stopped struggling after a moment. The man put him in the van and it drove off and McGee lost it after a block."

Riley nodded and asked, "This woman, do we have a picture of her to run through AFIS? What about the man?"

Sherlock then took a step toward her, and she focused on him. "Agent McGee was able to get a shot of her face from one of the cameras. She looks familiar to me but I can't place her, maybe you would know,"

Though Riley was surprised that Sherlock couldn't remember someone, she nodded her head and Sherlock handed a picture to her. She took it from him and looked it over.

She raised a hand to her mouth in shock, mumbling, "My god."

"Riley? Do you know who she is?" Gibbs asked. Riley glanced at him before looking up into Sherlock's eyes and whispered a name, "Jessica St. Patrick. She…we went to school together."

Recognition shined in Sherlock's eyes, "She was a friend of your roommate, Jayden."

"Yes," Riley nodded, staring down at the picture, "Jayden introduced me to all of her friends because she knew that I didn't know anyone in London. Jessica for some reason hated me from the start. She hated when people commented on the fact that we could be twins if my eyes had stayed one color."

Tony and Gibbs shared a glance before her father asked, "When was the last time you spoke with her?"

"At our graduation," Riley said, frowning as she snatched the last few pictures in Sherlock's hands. She flipped through them, pausing on a shot of Jessica smirking at Adam. Sherlock noticed the growing anger in Riley's eyes and took another step closer to her, laying a hand on her arm.

Storm blue eyes looked up at him and Sherlock asked, "Did the two of you talk?"

"Yes, she told me that she hoped that we would see each other sometime in the future so she could show me how she was nothing like 'perfect' Riley Black." They all were silent after Riley's reply, thinking of how Jessica could have become so close to Moriarty.

"_Boss!"_ McGee's voice was heard coming from the video camera connected to Autopsy and Abby's Lab. They all turned toward the camera and saw McGee, Abby and Palmer staring at them.

"What McGee?" Gibbs responded.

"_Abby found the closest thing to McAdam's Bar and Grill-"_

Abby then pushed McGee away and said, _"There's an old bar in downtown that was shut down a few years ago called McAdam's Pub. That's the only place in D.C. that is similar to McAdam's Bar and Grill, Gibbs."_

Gibbs, Tony, John, Sherlock and Riley headed for the doors to Autopsy as Gibbs said over his shoulder, "Send the address to DiNozzo, Abbs. Duck, tell us the cause of death when you know,"

Ducky watched them disappear in the elevator and turned back toward the body and hurried to continue with the autopsy.

Team Gibbs, John and Sherlock arrived at the abandoned bar at 4 after making a plan and getting prepared. The building was the last building on a corner and had three entrances: the front, the side door, and the back door leading to the alley. The old bar was fairly large and all of them would be splitting up in order to cover the whole building.

Gibbs and Tony would go in through the front and take the front, Riley and Ziva would go in through the side and cover the small dining room and basement, and McGee, Sherlock and John would take the back and cover the kitchen and a room that was used to store the alcohol.

They all put on bullet proof vests and put in ear buds to stay in contact and separated to their assigned positions. Riley covered Ziva as the woman kneeled and started to pick the lock. Once she had it, she slowly pulled open the door and swung her gun and flashlight to see if there was anyone in the dining room. Seeing no one, she nodded once to Riley and the two silently stepped into the room, sweeping their guns and flashlights around the room and covering each other.

"I'll take the basement," Riley said softly to Ziva who nodded to acknowledge that she heard the other woman as she continued to sweep the room. Riley moved to where the door to the basement was from the blueprints they all looked over before arriving. She reached the door knob and was slightly surprised it turned under her hand so easily and pushed the door open slowly. Once it was open enough for her, she slipped in and headed down the stairs slowly, keeping an eye on her surroundings.

She soon reached the bottom of the steps and started to clear the large room. There were old things that had been used for the bar spread throughout the room and as she moved around a large table that had old beer and whiskey bottles, she heard a slam.

She swung around toward the sound distinguishing it as the door to the basement slamming closed. She was quiet for a moment, trying to hear if there was anyone else in the room with her before speaking into her mic on her wrist that was connected with the team, "Ziva, did you close the door to the basement?"

There was a pause, _"No. I did not close the door. I thought it was you on your way back from clearing the basement. Do you need some assistance?"_

Riley looked around, turning her flashlight slowly around the basement as she moved closer to the stairs. Seeing nothing, she lifted her wrist to speak again, "No, I think im good. It was probably just the door being so-," She gasped as she had swung her flashlight to take one last look behind her when she saw a dark haired figure swing a beer bottle at her head. She tried to dodge it but the bottle grazed the side of her head, causing her to feel slightly dizzy and making her miss the bottle swinging back toward her and slicing along the side of her turned neck with the jagged edges that had been broken off from the first swing to her head.

Riley stumbled backwards with a slight grown. She fell back against the staircase and looked up dazedly at the figure she could now see was a woman. Jessica St. Patrick to be exact.

The agent slid along the wall, to give herself some room against her assailant as she felt blood slid down the side of her ringing head and down her neck. Riley had barely passed the last step when Jessica lunged for her again, tackling Riley to the ground and causing her gun and flashlight to fly from her hand.

Her head hit the floor with force, tearing a pained yelp from her lips and she blacked out for a few seconds. When she came to again, she first heard yelling in her ear as the others tried to get a response from her and were becoming concerned when she didn't respond. The next she heard was the sound of Jessica moving around her restlessly. Riley sat motionless for a moment waiting for Jessica to be away where she hoped and thought her flashlight and gun had been thrown, then feeling adrenaline rush through her veins, she turned to her side then pushed herself up and over toward where she saw the light from her flashlight.

Riley heard Jessica yell behind her and started to bend to reach for her flashlight when she felt a hand grab a chunk of her ponytail and pull her head back painfully. She reached one hand back to grab the hand clutching her hair while she used her other arm to elbow the woman behind her. Her elbow connected solidly and her hair was let go as Jessica groaned in pain. Riley continued for her flashlight and snatched it from the grown and swept the floor for her gun as she heard pounding coming from the door above her as the others tried to get in.

She cringed when she heard Sherlock's voice scream in her ear, _"RILEY! ANSWER ME, GODDAMN IT!"_

That one moment of her clutching her head gave Jessica enough time to attack her again. But Riley was tired and pissed that she was getting her ass kicked by a woman who was attacking her with beer bottles and pulling her hair like a stupid cat fight. So as Jessica tackled her from behind, Riley swung her fist with the flashlight in it behind her and felt it connect with Jessica's face.

Jessica screamed in pain as they fell to the ground and Riley groaned as she bit into her tongue from her chin landing on the ground below her and she felt her ribs strain under the sudden landing. The two struggled for a moment before Riley was able to be facing Jessica. Hands came around Riley's throat and Riley felt her air supply cut off.

She felt something land on her face before she heard Jessica scream at her, "YOU BITCH! YOU BROKE MY NOSE, IM GOING TO KILL YOU! IM GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR 'PERFECT' HUSBAND THEN IM GOING TO MAKE YOUR PRECIOUS SON FEEL AS MUCH PAIN AS POSSIBLE BEFORE I TRAIN HIM TO THINK ME OF HIS MOTHER AND NOT YOU, YOU WHORE!"

Riley reacted at that threat and pushed her hand into Jessica's face, feeling the broken nose and pushing against it. The hands around her throat suddenly left and took in a long gasp of air before she turned on her side and coughed. She swung her flashlight and caught sight of her gun, lunging for it as she heard Jessica scream in outrage and pain.

Riley's bloody hand grasped her gun and as she turned back toward Jessica she felt a broken piece of glass slid through her upper left arm. She screamed in pain as she stumbled back, her gun hand automatically coming up and shooting blindly toward the direction the glass came from.

Jessica yelped as the door above them crashed open. Riley heard Jessica run and she slid down a work bench as the others came running down the stairs, beams of flashlights shining along walls. She laid her head back, idly seeing behind her closed eyelids a light of a flashlight hitting her face.

"Riley!" She heard Sherlock yell with panic and fear in his voice. She probably looked like a mess, blood running down the right side of her face and the right side of her neck, she was sure bruises would appear around her neck and the piece of glass sticking out of her left arm.

She opened her eyes when she felt a gentle touch on her cheek. Sherlock was crouching next to her, studying her face worriedly while John stood behind him with his flashlight aloft. She smiled weakly at him to show she was alright but Sherlock just frowned even more and leaned forward to press his forehead to hers. She let him do it, knowing he needed to reassure himself that she was still alive and to pull himself together. She flinched when she felt a hand lift her left arm. She and Sherlock both looked over and saw John had crouched on her opposite side and using his flashlight was looking over her arm.

"What's the diagnosis, Doctor?" Riley tried to ask wryly but it just came out sounding weary. John looked up at her as Sherlock ripped some of his outer shirt off to press to the side of her neck where the worse of the blood was.

"It looks like it just went through skin. A hospital will know for sure." John said as he kept her arm in his grip.

"An ambulance is less than 5 minutes away," Gibbs said as he came over to them, looking Riley over in concern. Riley nodded before groaning as she felt horrifyingly dizzy. She reached up and grasped Sherlock's arm weakly, her eyes fluttering as she tried to stay conscious.

She gazed up at Sherlock blearily as he said, "Don't fall asleep, Riley."

"'m tryin'," she mumbled. She kept her eyes locked onto Sherlock's as a hand pressed softly to her pulse in her neck.

"Her pulse is weak, she needs an ambulance now," John's voice said. Sherlock swiped a hand across her cheek as Tony's voice asked, "Can we move her?"

"…Yes, we just have to be careful of her arm. Sherlock, pick her up and we can maneuver her arm to rest on her stomach until we can get her on a stretcher." She saw Sherlock nod and he looked down at her and said, "Im going to pick you up, ok Riley?"

She may have given consent, but she didn't know if her mouth moved or not. Sherlock reached one arm under her armpits and his other arm under her knees and then he lifted her. She gave a whimper as her arm was jostled and burning fire seemed to race up her arm. She turned her head into Sherlock's neck and closed her eyes.

She must have passed out for a moment because when she opened her eyes they were outside in the cold air…and she was freezing. She tried to move closer to Sherlock for warmth but she was being put down on a stiff bed type thing. She groaned in protest, feeling coldness spreading out throughout her body. Unknown faces bent over her, faces she had never seen in her life-_and where was Sherlock? She needed Sherlock, she was so cold._

Her arm reached out blindly for Sherlock. One of the strangers moved and Riley felt a familiar, long fingered, calloused hand grasp hers. A mask was put over her face and she could breath (_why didn't she notice she couldn't breathe so well before?_) then Sherlock was looking down at her. He was saying something as they moved into an enclosed space. Riley tried to focus on what he was saying but she was so tired and her head was throbbing in painful tandem with her heart.

Sherlock seemed to notice her problem since he leaned forward and she heard, "I love you, Riley,"

She squeezed his hand and as she slipped into unconsciousness, and she hoped she said loud enough for him to hear, "I love you, too."


End file.
